The coaching process usually starts with an initial consultation, during which we discuss your coaching goals and any prior experience you have with coaching. If we both believe that coaching is a good fit for you, we will schedule an intake session to establish the foundation of our work together. During this session, we will explore your vision of the desired future state you are striving for and define specific goals you want to accomplish through coaching. In subsequent sessions, we will examine your strengths and values, support systems, obstacles to change, and insights and lessons learned, while developing and adjusting action plans and strategies to help you make progress towards your goals. Over time, you will build a customized set of tools for behavior change that you can use in other areas of your life and future goals.

When you have made significant progress or achieved your coaching goals, before concluding the coaching agreement, we may design a maintenance plan to help you maintain the progress made during coaching. You may then graduate from coaching altogether or start a new coaching agreement to work towards a new goal.

There are many reasons why someone might consider working with a coach. It is common to seek support in making improvements to different aspects of one's personal or professional life, achieving specific challenging goals, or making and managing big life changes.

If you are feeling stuck or unfulfilled in your personal or professional life, are struggling with a specific aspect of health or well-being, or if you have a specific goal that you are struggling to achieve, coaching can help. A coach can provide an objective perspective, offer encouragement, elicit motivation, and help you develop strategies and action plans to move forward. For those who struggle with self-accountability, working with a coach can help increase your commitment to your own goals and progress.

Coaching is not a substitute for therapy or medical treatment. If you are experiencing significant distress or mental health issues, it may be more appropriate to seek the help of a mental health professional.

I have worked with clients on a wide range of goals including:

Personal development: Improving self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-care; managing stress and emotions; and building healthy relationships.

Professional development: Setting and achieving career goals; improving leadership and communication skills; and enhancing work-life balance.

Health and wellness: Developing healthy habits and making challenging lifestyle changes; managing chronic conditions; and improving overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Purpose and meaning: developing a foundation of purpose and meaning in your personal or professional life; exploring spiritual practices and values; and cultivating a sense of inner stability and fulfillment.

Life transitions: Navigating major life changes, such as starting a new career, getting married, having a child, or retiring; finding a new sense of direction and purpose; or reconnecting with one’s deeper values and purpose amidst great change.

Relationships: Improving communication and quality of personal and professional relationships; resolving conflicts; and building healthier and more fulfilling connections.

The frequency of coaching sessions can vary depending on your specific needs and goals, and is likely to change over time. Many clients benefit from weekly sessions early on while they build on small wins to develop momentum. After a month or two you may want to shift to bi-weekly sessions as you build confidence in your new skills and behaviors. Some long-term clients move to monthly coaching sessions as a way to stay accountable to maintaining their progress and to help move through plateaus and periodic challenges that come up in the course of daily life. We will experiment with the cadence that is right for you and adjust as your needs change.

The duration of a coaching agreement (in which we focus on a specific goal) can vary depending on the nature and complexity of the goal, but a typical term is 3-6 months. While some short-term goals may be achieved or significant progress made in a shorter time frame, most lasting behavior change starts to become more established after about 3-6 months, and maintaining progress after that point typically requires an additional 6 months to become a truly habitual behavior. We will work together to determine the level and duration of support that is right for you.

Not yet. At this time, the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC) is partnering with the American Medical Association (AMA) on establishing CPT codes for health and wellness coaches working within an established healthcare setting which allows for insurance reimbursement for coaching services. These do net yet apply to private health and wellness coaching practices. This also means that private coaching services are not yet eligible for HSA or FSA reimbursement. I do, however, offer limited sliding scale coaching slots through Open Path Healing Arts Collective.

A coach is typically focused on helping individuals achieve specific goals or make changes in their personal or professional lives. Coaching is often goal-oriented and action-oriented, and it may involve developing strategies and action plans to overcome challenges and move forward.

A therapist is a trained mental health professional who helps individuals address and overcome mental health issues, emotional challenges, and behavioral problems. Therapy may involve exploring past experiences and feelings, resolving emotional conflicts, and developing coping skills to manage stress and improve mental well-being.

There are many other similarities and differences you can learn about here.